Rubber sole for boots and shoes.



C. H. HILL.

RUBBER SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28, 1912.

1 1?5,66= Patented Mar. 14 1916.

CHARLES H. HIL or- LYNN, massncnusn'r'rs.

RUBBER SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patentedl Mar, 14, 1916,

Application filed September 28, 1912. Serial No. 722,963.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. HILL,.'a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Rubber Soles for Boots and Shoes, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing,is a speci-' fication, like characters on resenting like parts. v Thisinvention relates to rubber soles for boots and shoes and pertains moreparticularly to a rubber sole to be attached to a boot or shoe asdistinguishedfrom rubber soles that are vulcanized to or integral withthe shoe and attached thereto during the process of the manufacturing ofthe boot or shoe. I haveshown in the accompanying drawing one embodimentthereof in which: a

Figure 1 is an inverted plan of a rubber sole embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a vertical cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The terms employed herein are used in the generic and descriptive sense,and, are not because of such use, limitations of my invention. Thelimitations as such, of the invention, will bepointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawing 10 represents the tread of the sole which is adaptedtoextend beneath the ball of the shoe, and which is the proper thicknessto give resiliency on the wearing surface and strength of material inorder that 11 is the shank which. is narrowed down i and is thinner thanthe tread 10.

12 is the thick heel portion which is integral with the said shank andtread. The heel portion 12 is the proper height or thickness to give thearch of the shoe the same support that a leather heel will and to raisethe arch and the shank to the-proper degree. To describe suchheel thewords thicker heel portion or the like are used to differentiate suchtype of heel from the so called spring heels etc.

At the point joins the shank 11 I provide a rounded portion. 13 *whichreinforces the said heel and said shank strengthening the same so thatthe rubber will not break or stretch at the junction thereof.

the drawing repit may be secured to the shoe.

where the heel portion 12 The thinning of the shank enables it to morethoroughly fit the arch and permit of the flexion of the said shankwithout drawing against the fastening means or the arch as would be thecase if the said shank were as thick as the tread 10.

The heel 12 is provided with fastener holes 15 and in alinementtherewith and embedded in the rubber are metalwashers 16.

When it is desired to provide a boot or shoe with rubber soles myinvention can be applied thereto in the following manner. The leatherheel is removed from the boot or shoe and the rubber sole is laid on theshoe and stitched along the shank at 20 from a point near the heel. Thesaid stitchmg continues about the tread at 21 and of the shank at 22stop along the other side ping at the heel. Nails or like fastenersarethen driven through the fastener holes 15 into the heel seat of theshoe. The heads of the nails or fasteners are driven beneath the treadsurface of the heel until the heads thereof engage with the independentmetal washers 16' and said nails are clenched into the heel seat'in anysuitable manner.

By means of my invention 1, provide a rubber sole that extendsthroughout. the

bottom of the shoe and has no joints or the like to spread open so thatthe moisture can obtain access to the bottom of the shoe. To preventweakening the shoe structure and sole, the tread, shank, and heel areintegral and the fastening means for the heel is of a different typemeans employed at the shank and tread portions of the sole. Thesame'fastening would 2e 1impracticable throughout the sole andHeretofore rubber soles have consisted of a shank and tread surface andif it was desired that a rubber heel should also be'employed, a separateheel had to beabutted against the shank portion after .it was attachedand the heel was then nailed to the heel seat. This enables the shank todraw awa from the heel and the moisture immediately commences to destroythe fastenings of both the sole and the heel.

If a rubber sole consisted merely of the tread, it was desired that arubber heel be secured to'the shoe oyer the rubb than the fastening Ithe shank, and rubber heel seat and" or heel seat, the I said rubberheel having no-solid foundation,

- same may loosen the heel fasteners and the said rubber heel wouldbecome detached within a very short time.

It will be observed that the perforated nail Washers 16 are positionedsubstantially in alinement with the under-surface of the shank-portionand a distance above the bottom of the heel substantially equal to thethickness of the tread or sole portion proper. This arrangement of thewashers, in reality, forms of the upper portion of the heel portion, anextension of the shank portion, and thus when applied to a shoe, the.rear extension of the shank will be clamped to the bottom relativelywide flat washers, thereby forming a connection which will not tearloose by lateral movement, and leaving the heel proper free for elasticmovements.

Iyhave described herein one embodiment of my invention; but it is to beunderstood that the latter is not essentially limited to the specificdetails of construction and organization of said embodiment, since thebe varied without departing from the proper scope of the claims.

"Claims.

1. An integral rubber sole comprising a forepart, a thicker heel portionand a shank of the shoe by the portion connecting and of. less thicknessthan either said forepart or heel portion,

' said heel portion having continuous vertition,'and washers completelyembedded in said heel portion and constructed and arranged to cooperatewith other fastening means for clamping to a shoe only that part of saidheel portion lying above the plane of the underside of said shankportion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

3 CHARLES H. HILL.

Witnesses: 7

WILLIAM E. SALOMONS, ADELBERT SrWILDER.

